Defense Association: Year One
by Ie-maru
Summary: Harry gets curious when he sees something on the television. What he finds out and accomplishes as a result of it just goes to show what happens when inspiration hits it off with imagination. Harry Potter xover w Naruto and Poke'mon.
1. Prolouge

Imperfect One-shots

Written by: Ie-maru

Note:

Thanks to everyone who reviewed for the prologue in Imperfect Oneshots!

This is an x-over between Harry Potter/Naruto/Poke'mon, but don't worry, he's not going to be transported spontaneously to their dimension. Well, not right now anyway. A lot of things are probably going to reflect in Gray Dawn or vice versa, so there's the warning.

…..

"A little determination can go a long way, especially when fueled by inspiration." –Ie-maru

…..

The young six year old stared in awe as the pencil sunk into the 'scroll'. A few minutes later he picked up his jaw and smiled bright enough to put the sun to shame.

'It worked! And the teachers say you can't learn anything from television,' Harry thought proudly.

His cousin had gotten Petunia to buy video versions of the Naruto series, and Harry had secretly watched from the kitchen when Dudley popped them into the VCR. When his uncle found him 'slacking' a few hours later he threw little Harry into the cupboard without supper. Harry had gotten bored after a while, which is what inspired him to grab a stub of a pencil and try something he'd seen in the episode he'd just been watching.

After writing the strange lettering, which was kanji, but he didn't know that, Harry had closed his eyes and concentrated really hard while pressing the kanji. When he felt a little drained he opened his eyes hopefully, but nothing seemed any different. Feeling disappointed he unenthusiastically pressed his pencil to the kanji, and then was shocked when it sunk into the scrap of paper he'd been using.

'It actually worked!' he thought enthusiastically.

Only a few minutes later did a thought bring him out of his high.

'How do I get it back out?!'

…..

Luckily little Harry had been able to get his stub of a pencil out after a few trial and errors. It was lucky because it was his only pencil, but Harry was too happy to really care about how the Dursley's neglected him.

'I wonder what else I can learn from TV.'

He feel asleep with exciting thoughts of blowing fire and hopping from roof to roof, beyond anyone's reach.

…..

It was school the next day and once again he was pushed out the door with no lunch, a stubby pencil, a notebook, and five colored pencils. It didn't seem all that bad to Harry, he was used to it and was still riding his high from the day before, even as Dudley was showered with love and lead out the door with a backpack filled with pencils, colored and number twos, markers, four notebooks, a coloring book, a sleeping pad for nap time, and a wonderful lunch in a Scooby-Doo lunch pail. It didn't even matter much when Dudley pushed him down onto the ground and raced off to the bus stop without him.

Harry pulled himself up from the ground and ignored his cousin, who was entertaining himself by jabbing his fat fingers into Harry's thin shoulders.

'I could make more at Drawing Time,' Harry thought as he sidestepped a kick from Dudley.

'And I could practice some at Recess.'

With plans of ninja practice in mind, the kindergartener absent-mindedly made his way onto the yellow bus behind his cousin and sat in the front seat, not really listening to the chatter of the other young students.

'I'll practice the 'Henge' first. If I could look like someone else then I could all sorts of things!'

He, and all the other students, excitably got off the buss and rushed to their classrooms. Things went pretty normally from there. They read little paper booklets, which Harry was able to read easily being at a higher level than the others; he had to learn in order to read his aunt's cookbooks. Then they did a few simple math problems, in which his chores also had him ahead. Afterward they had played a few educational games on the computer involving science and reading before the teacher declared it was lunch time.

Harry sat at his desk alone, watching the other children eat their lovingly prepared lunches, and it was then that he dimmed a little. He thought about how nice it would be if he had a mom that would make a little lunch, just for him.

"Harry, you forgot your lunch again?" asked the teacher, Karen.

Harry nodded morosely, though he knew he was lying again; he always told her he forgot and it was what his uncle told him to say that if he wanted dinner.

Karen sighed, "You really need to remember, Harry, eating healthy is important."

She handed him an apple and Harry smiled, remembering the nursery rhyme they learned last week about apples and doctors.

"Thank you, Mrs. Roberts."

Karen smiled and went back to her desk to watch everyone.

'How am I going to be a good ninja if I'm not healthy?' Harry thought sadly as he bit into his apple.

The answer came to him a moment later. If he could get strong enough to do the Shadow Clone and the Henge at the same time then he could have a clone bring him lunch. This just created a new problem though.

'How is my clone going to get me a healthy lunch? I don't have any money besides what Mrs. Figg gives me for my birthday, and that's not enough to get me a lunch everyday.'

He decided to cross that bridge when he came to it, and went back to eating his apple before lunch was over.

After lunch they were allowed to go outside for recess, and that's when Harry tried to sneak to the side of the school to practice. His cousin had other ideas.

"C'mere!" yelled Dudley as he chased him.

Harry fearfully ran across the playground over to where the dumpsters were.

'If I could just get behind it!'

It was no use though, as he could hear Dudley coming around the corner. Harry put in a last ditch effort of trying to jump behind it, but his cousin saw him. Harry closed his eyes and wished with all his power to be somewhere his cousin couldn't get him.

"Teacher! Teacher!"

Harry was confused at hearing Dudley, of all people, calling for the teacher. That was when he opened his eyes, and found himself on the roof.

'Did I do that teleport thing that Kakashi does?' Harry mused in awe.

"What are you doing up here?!" yelled Karen as she stormed through the employee doors.

Harry started, and whirled around to face her.

"I…" he mumbled, not knowing what to say.

"You are going to have to stay after school, and your uncle and aunt are going to have a little talk with the principal, young man," she scolded while shaking her finger at him.

Harry's head fell to stare at his feet and he heard Dudley laughing down below. His hands clenched in frustration and helplessness.

His aunt and uncle wouldn't be happy.

…..

Harry was right about that. His aunt and uncle weren't happy about it at all. They'd stormed with faces red from shame and anger, and they'd sat to his right in the principal's office.

Harry blocked out the angry voices of the adults and tried to think back to what he did to teleport like Kakashi.

'I was scared, and wanted to get away, but I didn't do any hand seals. For that matter Kakashi didn't seem to need them either. Maybe the hand seals are just to get people used to how to do it, like how a baby crawls before it walks. Well, I'm not going to use hand seals at all! I want to be able to do it all without them. It would be quicker anyway.'

When his uncle grabbed his arm he didn't only jolt him out of his seat as they stormed out, but his thoughts were interrupted as well. He could only focus on the pain in his arm and the anger that spelled punishment. He was soon tossed into the car, and later into his cupboard without dinner.

'I need to practice, but how can I if Dudley's always interrupting? I'd have to use the Shadow Clone, but then I won't know what we're doing in school. Maybe I could change it a little, so that I'll know what the clone learned before I dispatch it.'

After deciding to try it in the morning Harry settled down to sleep, though it was uncomfortable with hunger paining his stomach.

…..

"Get dressed!" his aunt screeched, waking him up abruptly.

Harry quickly sat up and jumped out of his little cot, rushing to get dressed. When he was presentable he was about to open the door to make breakfast, but then remembered what he decided the day before.

He calmly sat down on his cot and closed his eyes, concentrating hard.

'I need a clone look-alike! I need him to look and act like me, but not be me! I need to be able to dispatch him and then be able to know what he learned!' he thought fervently.

When he opened his eyes and saw nothing he quickly shut them again, and thought about the panic he felt the day before.

'I need him now!'

It was then that he felt a great amount of energy leave him, and he felt so tired that he could barely manage to open his eyes.

"What do you need, boss?" whispered a look-alike, who was standing in front of him.

"Just go about like I do everyday," he whispered back tiredly.

The clone nodded and slipped out the door as Harry himself slipped into unconsciousness.

…..

When Harry came to the house was eerily quiet. He thought that the others must be out, but he didn't want to be caught either, so he remained quiet. He sneakily slipped out of his cupboard, and paused to listen again. It was still quiet; however, he remained cautious and slipped into the empty kitchen to check the time.

Apparently he'd been out for three hours, as it was about ten o'clock at the moment.

Harry smiled bright as the stars, and let out a silent little whoop of joy as everything caught up to him.

'Now I just need to find a good place to train,' he thought as he slipped out the door and locked it behind him with the spare key he found under the potted plant.

After putting the key back under the pot Harry rushed off to the woods he knew he'd find on the edge of town. Luckily they weren't too far, but by the time Harry got there he was a little winded.

'If I'm going to be a ninja I can't be this weak!' Harry mentally berated himself.

He caught his breath and jogged through the trees until he came into a clearing. Deciding that this would be the perfect place to train Harry did a few laps around it, and then went through a few sit-ups. He tried push-ups, but he couldn't manage many before his arms were burning. With each exercise he grew more determined to get stronger than he was as he was continuously proven to be out of shape.

After a few more routines and a little time to sit down and regain his energy Harry prepared himself to attempt one of the academy jutsu, the Henge, without hand seals. He didn't close his eyes this time, thinking it would be disadvantageous to a ninja in battle.

'I need to look like Karen!' he thought, concentrating on how his teacher looked and how it felt after he did the other techniques.

'I need to look like her!'

It was very strange. He could feel a tug on his energy, and slowly he could feel himself stretching to get taller. A weird feeling grew in his chest as lumps seemed to grow from it. He saw golden locks growing to frame his face. After a few moments he felt the strangest feeling around his crotch that was almost painful, but not.

It was a slow process, but by the end Harry/Karen ran to the nearby pool to gaze at his/her reflection.

'I look just like her' Harry thought happily as she posed.

'It took a while, but I'm sure that with practice I'll get quicker.'

Harry smiled once more at her reflection before concentrating to change back. She watched in her reflection as she changed into a he, and then how he started looking more and more like his real self. It was a little quicker than last time, but still not near enough to the time that the ninja could do it.

'I wonder why when I do stuff like this there isn't a popping sound, like in the show,' he thought as he walked to the middle of the clearing.

'I suppose it doesn't matter too much. It's probably best that I don't make that sound anyway; it might give away my position when I'm in a tough spot.'

Taking a moment to rest he then went back to physical exercise, after which he continued to switch between the two until the sun started going down.

'Today was a good day,' he mused happily as he jogged back home.

He made sure to hide behind the tree in the back yard before peering sneakily around it, trying to spot his clone through the glass doors that lead into the living room. When he finally did spot him he discreetly waved to him to come over. The clone obeyed, and met with him behind the tree.

"Thanks for the help," Harry whispered as he dispatched the clone.

It was then that a rush of information flooded his mind about the day, but most of it was things he already knew. After his mind was settled Harry approached the glass doors and slipped inside.

"Why were you outside?" his aunt demanded as she exited the kitchen.

'She must've seen' Harry thought busily.

"Oh…I thought I saw something outside, Aunt Petunia."

'Which isn't exactly a lie either.'

"Someone outside?" Petunia panicked, looking out the window.

"I have half a mind to call the police."

"I think he's gone now," he said in a rush before dismissing himself to the kitchen to grab a sandwich before hurrying to his cupboard.

'I haven't eaten in a while,' he thought while stuffing the sandwich in his mouth.

'I need to find a way to get good food so that I can train better, and become a better ninja!'

He fell asleep not to much longer after finishing the sandwich, though it wasn't enough to fully fill him up.

…..

The next morning went very similar to the last, but it was easier to make the clone. He only passed out for half an hour this time, but before he could sneak out he had to wait for Petunia to leave or at least get out of the living room, where she'd be able to see him when he got out of the cupboard. It took about half and hour more for his aunt to decide to go out shopping, and after she left he was able to sneak out of the cupboard.

Before he left he snatched two sandwiches and a bottle of water. He also ate an apple for his breakfast, as he remembered that Karen always said that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. After he was all ready he snuck out the back door and made way to his training ground. He was still a little out of breath when he got there, but he knew he'd just have to train more to get in shape.

After running a few laps again Harry decided that today he'd try the walking-up-the-tree exercise. He ran quickly at the tree of his choice, but only made a step or two before falling on his back.

'I need to concentrate more on using my energy to get up the tree, instead of just trying to run up it,' Harry decided as he brushed himself off.

He stood for a moment, his eyes closed, and breathed deeply, concentrating on his inner energy that the ninjas called chakra. A moment later his eyes snapped open and he ran up the tree.

'I'm doing it!' He thought excitedly as he was ten steps up the tree's length.

His concentration wavered then and he fell to the ground painfully.

"Ouch," he moaned as he forced himself to stand and brush himself off once more.

He looked determinedly at the tree, took a few breathes, and then started up it again; he made fifteen steps before he fell, but he was so high he knew that he'd get really hurt if he fell to the ground like last time.

'Concentrate!' he screamed to himself, trying to focus his energy to his legs so he could catch himself like the ninjas.

It seemed to work as he landed on his feet and bent his knees, but his legs felt a little stiff. He sat down on the ground and rubbed them a little while catching his breath from the fearful experience.

He stood after his legs felt more secure, and trained on the tree for the rest of the day, besides stopping to rest and eat lunch. By the time the sun went down he was sitting in one of the highest branches that could hold his weight safely. He looked at the faraway ground, not with fear like before, but with pride, and slipped off the branch to land on the ground in a crouched position.

He looked up at the branch he was just sitting on with a smile before he tiredly made his way home.

…..

The next morning an idea came to him that sent a shiver down his spine.

_What if Dudley managed to hit his clone, and it poofed out of existence?_

He felt a large amount of relief that this hadn't seemed to happen, but he knew he'd have to make changes to his clone to prevent it. As he concentrated he thought hard on what he wanted so as his clone would be more enduring. He felt more energy than previously leave him, and blanked out.

When he snuck a look at the clock in the kitchen it appeared as if he'd been out for an hour. It was longer than last time, but he'd also made his clone tougher this time, so he wasn't too perturbed.

After eating an apple and grabbing some food and drink for his lunch he made his way to his training ground to practice the Henge, the Clone, taijutsu, and the tree exercise.

…..

Two weeks afterwards, his schedule very similar, Harry was finally strong enough to make a second durable shadow clone. He'd been practicing really hard so that he'd be able to practice his taijutsu against an actual opponent, instead of just a tree, and to get stronger.

The two Harrys smiled at eachother from across the clearing, and then charged.

When the clone Harry's fist connected with Harry's face pain was evident and tears were threatening to spill; he ignored the pain and swiftly tripped his opponent. The clone hit the floor, but rolled to the side to avoid the kick that threatened to smash into his face. This went on for a while longer and both were developing bruises and breathing heavily. Not much longer later the clone took as much damage as it could take and simply disappeared without the trademark 'poof' of Naruto's clones.

Harry collapsed tiredly to the ground and took a sip from his water. He'd have to transform with the Henge to hide the bruises from his relatives, but he didn't care at the moment. All that mattered to him was the elation that ran through the veins of the victorious. He'd fought and he'd won, and the adrenaline that was running through him was exhilarating.

After coming down from his high Harry stood and brushed himself off. After a moment the bruises disappeared and Harry looked proudly upon his seemingly unblemished skin. He'd gotten much better at the academy jutsu; you could almost say he mastered it. He was able to transform a lot quicker now, and it was getting easier to climb the trees, so much so that he was starting to practice jumping from tree to tree while mixing running to walking up and down every other tree.

He felt that if Dudley tried to take him on now that it wouldn't be Dudley who won.

…..

He changed his training schedule to include his new sparring partner, and started to include having said partner transform into a kunai or shuriken to practice throwing them, though he missed half the time as it was new. What really excited him though was that summer would start next week, and he would be able to make some more money to be able to buy weights.

He planned on having one clone stay with the Dursleys, while another clone would transform into a nothing-special looking teenager and offer to mow lawns for a price. Harry himself would be switching from transforming and doing chores for hire to practicing in his clearing and bringing the teenager clone to help.

He had it all planned out. Now summer just had to get here. In the mean time he would add practicing on being able to summon a third clone and doing the fire-breath technique he remembered seeing Sasuke do to his schedule.

By the time summer had arrived he'd moved onto trying sit-ups half-way up the tree, had been able to blow out a small stream of fire the size of a pen, and only remained unconscious for an hour and a half after summoning his third clone. Oh, and the fights between him and his clone were getting violent enough for Harry to add learning medical techniques to his plans.

…..

When Harry turned eight he'd decided it was time for a partner to help him, much like Kiba had Akamaru, only he didn't want any old regular dog. A regular dog wouldn't nearly be good enough to be a nin-dog, and thus he was faced with a dilemma. That was when the good old television once more inspired him.

Dudley had been watching TV, specifically a show Harry hadn't remembered seeing before called 'Poke'mon'. In it Harry saw a fire-dog that the character Ash brought to the healing center. Harry was quite taken with these creatures that seemed to be far more capable than even Akamaru, and so had his clone pose as him while he took for the library to look up more. The vast array of poke'mon he saw on the site's 'national poke'dex' astounded him, and so he visited numerous sites to find the strengths and abilities of those that had appealed to him.

After writing all he wanted, including the web-sites addresses, on a scrap piece of paper the librarian gave him, Harry felt he was all set to go about bringing his new partner to life.

There was only one problem, and that was that he didn't know where to start. Brainstorming quickly the would-be ninja came up with a plan and put it into steps.

First he would have to study anatomy, then chemistry, as the librarian called them, and in the time he wasn't studying he would train to be strong enough to bring his future partner to life.

He transformed into what he hoped was a twenty-looking guy and headed off to the local college to try to get access to their library, which would no doubt hold the information he'd need. He didn't have a lot of trouble getting inside, and the librarians were very helpful in finding the books he'd need; they also recommended studying algebra to get a better grasp on chemistry. Harry thanked them and happily sat at a round table with his notebook and small pencil, readying himself for a long study session.

Anatomy, connected with their biology courses, had been very interesting. He paid the closest attention to the human and canine sections, and had a better understanding of it after another local student gave a few helpful insights. Algebra was studied next as a basis for chemistry, and he struggled a little before he got what it basically was; no matter how difficult the problem seemed to him, they were just looking for the number that made the problem right or simplified down enough so it wasn't so big when someone did get a number, making it easier to solve.

After a month of studying Harry was definitely getting better, but 'better' wasn't going to cut it. He didn't want to risk the life of his partner on a faulty variable. Studying anatomy also required a good understanding of basic biology, so as to understand why things happened the way they did. He expanded his knowledge of biology, of various kinds, to be able to better make sense of everything. He'd advanced in algebra, and had started into chemistry, getting along quite well. Often he had to consult a dictionary for words he didn't understand, and it resulted in the expanding of his vocabulary.

All while studying he'd been practicing the water-walking exercise, his other techniques, and had been developing a basic healing jutsu, in which his studying of human anatomy helped very much. He'd even went a little into the study of plants, so he might be able to make salves or other things of use; at any rate, he at least knew not to eat anything unless he knew it wasn't poisonous.

By the fourth month Harry had completed his first medical jutsu, was able to produce an acceptable grand fireball, had walked shakily across the pond, had improved greatly in his accuracy with throwing kunai and shuriken, could produce ten clones, and felt ready to go about in the making of his new partner. He'd done all this while keeping his routine of sending a clone in his place at school and replacing him at the end of the day.

The food problem had been solved when he was able to make his fourth clone, which he then sent out, under the guise of a twenty-year old, to get a job. And with the way things were going, Harry couldn't possibly feel prouder of himself, though he continued to push himself.

…..

'Today,' Harry decided as he made way to his clearing.

Today he'd make his partner; though he didn't exactly know how his energy would go about it he had faith that he could do it. He planned on the houndour starting as a puppy, allowing it time to grow and mature, but he also planned on using his power to allow the pup to grow larger than normal; when the pup evolved into a houndoom an adult might be able to ride it, though it was smaller than a horse.

Harry sat down in the clearing and started taking deep breaths, trying to center himself and find his inner power. He concentrated on what he wanted, he thought of the general anatomy, the fact that he wanted his partner to live as long as him, the special abilities, the size, the ability to understand human speech, and the ability to evolve. He pushed his power behind the thoughts, and then everything seemed to blend together and blur. A large amount of energy left him, and the scene before him seemed as if he weren't wearing his glasses, but even so he could make out a small black and red furred creature sitting before him.

"Shep," Harry affectionately named the pup before giving in to the darkness.

The newly christened Shep whimpered and curled about Harry's head, falling asleep and waiting for his partner to awaken.

…..

Harry's eyes fluttered open, and his hand automatically went to straiten his glasses. When everything came into focus he started as his eyes caught the furred thing curled next to him. That's when the past events came up to him, and he smiled excitedly as he shook the pup awake.

"Hey there, Shep," Harry cooed as the pup's black eyes opened tiredly.

He laughed as the little puppy yawned, exposing his baby teeth. Shep retaliated by licking his face, but it only caused Harry to laugh more.

"Well, why don't I show you where I live, huh? Then we can see for how long I've been out."

"Ark!"

…..

Harry took his time walking back, letting the sun set so he could meet with his clone by the tree in private. Shep was happily sniffing the air in his arms, and was making an almost sickeningly cute sight. Harry smiled down at his little partner and scratched him behind the ear.

By the time they arrived by the tree it was dark, and Harry could see his clone pacing in the back yard. This worried Harry a little, and made him wonder what had happened.

Shep gave a silent little bark, clearly sensing that now was not the time for noise, but they needed the clone's attention. The clone started at the noise, and whirled around to see them.

The clone rushed over and whispered fervently, "Where have you been?! You've been gone for three days!"

"Three days?" Harry repeated dumbfounded.

The clone nodded quickly and Harry dispatched it after thanking him for his help.

'Three days…no wonder I'm so hungry,' thought Harry when his stomach rumbled.

Shep whined and his stomach mimicked Harry's.

"I suppose we should get something to eat then, huh boy?"

They proceeded to raid the fridge before going to sleep, Shep curling into a ball between Harry's arms.

…..

Harry was woken up in the morning by Shep licking his face, no doubt wanting something to eat.

'It's better than waking up to Aunt Petunia's shrieks,' he thought sleepily.

As if summoning the devil Aunt Petunia descended the stairs with her familiar banshee calling.

"Wake up boy!"

Shep whined and his ears tilted back as the loud screech assaulted his young ears and Harry sympathetically pat his head. A moment later and a clone of Harry exited the cupboard to make breakfast, causing Shep to look at Harry curiously.

"Oh, that's right. I haven't told you, have I? That's a clone of me, and they help me out. Don't worry," Harry whispered, getting a lick to his cheek in return.

"Ok, ok, that's enough," he chuckled as he pat the pup, waiting for the others to leave.

"The dishwasher fluid's low, I'll need the one in the cupboard," he heard Petunia angrily mutter.

Harry tensed in apprehension as he heard her approach and Shep, feeling his partner's unease, glared at the door, pulling his little face into a snarl, but making no noise.

"That's alright Aunt Petunia, I'll get it," his clone cut in, jogging toward the door.

Harry and Shep relaxed, relieved as the clone's head popped in and gave them a wink as he grabbed the jug of dishwasher fluid.

"Close call," Harry whispered when his clone left.

Shep nodded and licked his hand, wanting to be pat more.

…..

Harry made a little change to his plans considering his money usage. He ended up buying Shep two food and water dishes, one for his cupboard and one for the clearing, and then buying the best puppy chow he could find. That alone had set him back for his weights, so Harry decided that he just wouldn't get them, and save the rest; he could have four of his clones transform into weights that he could wear until dispatching them before bed.

The next change to his schedule included Shep's training. Shep couldn't do much because he was a puppy, but what he could do was run around to exercise and get some training in tracking. Shep seemed to think it was a fun game, and seemed to enjoy himself as Harry directed him onto the trail of a raccoon he'd spotted earlier. Shep would need more practice, but they had time to do that.

…..

"Get'em Shep!" a ten year old yelled to his young dog.

Shep barked and eagerly chased after the rabbit, using his nose when he lost sight of it in the bushes. The hound had led Harry to a hole by the roots, which was no doubt the rabbit's home.

Harry smiled, "Burn it out!"

The poke'mon nodded and threw up his head before bringing it back down to spit fire into the hole, causing the rabbit to exit via a back exit on the other side of the bushes. Shep needed no command to chase after it, and after a mighty leap he'd snatched the brown rabbit up in his teeth and bit hard enough to kill. The rabbit stilled in his mouth and the loyal dog brought the dead prey over to his partner and dropped it by his feet.

"Good boy," praised Harry, patting his partner's head.

"Ark!" barked the houndour, wagging his short tail.

Harry grabbed up the rabbit by its ears and brought it to their camp. This wasn't the first little hunt they'd been on, so he wasn't so perturbed by the dead animal hanging by his grip as he had been the first time. They'd decided to have a survival test, much like the ones the ninjas would undergo in the academy, to test how well they could do on their own. Harry had bought a sleeping bag, and Shep collected wood that they would take turns setting aflame. So far they'd been out for four days, and Harry was really impressed with how well they were doing. Soon he'd bring out a few more clones, to test how well he and his partner could do while being ambushed.

Thoughts of ninja survival training were cut short as Shep growled at an owl that was flying down to them. Harry wondered why an owl would do something so strange, especially when his dog was growling so fiercely at it, when it perched on his outstretched arm and held up its leg.

'Who uses owls to deliver messages?'

"Stand down," he said absentmindedly as he untied the letter and opened it.

The houndour sat back on his haunches and stopped growling, but he still watched the owl attentively.

Harry ran his eyes over the letter, then once more, and then again to try to get his mind to process what exactly the letter was telling him.

**Hogwarts School**_**  
**__of_ **Witchcraft **_and_ **Wizardry**

**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**  
_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Mr. Potter,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will  
find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
Yours Sincerely,

_Minerva McGonagall,_  
Deputy Headmistress

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

**Supply List**

**Hogwarts School  
**_of_** Witchcraft **_and_** Wizardry**

Uniform

First Year Students will require:  
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

Course Books

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_ by Miranda Goshawk  
_A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot  
_Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling  
_A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch  
_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore  
_Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger  
_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander  
_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ by Quintin Trimble  
  
Other Equipment

1 Wand  
1 Cauldron  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales  
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS .

'Well, if ninja techniques are real then why not a wizard's magic? If I'm a wizard then maybe that's why my techniques don't make noises like the ninjas on the show.'

_Dear Minerva McGonagall, _he started to scribble on the back of the first sheet while stuffing the supply list in a pocket.

_I find the letter you sent me quite interesting, and also a shock. I had not previously been informed of being a wizard, and thus would like to request more information._

_For one, where would I go to purchase these supplies? Is there a fund for students without much money? I don't have a lot, and I doubt my minders would pay for me to attend._

_Second, is there anything else an uniformed wizard should know? I should think that I'm not the only student in this situation, so are there any packets you send to the others helping them in their transition? If there are I would be most grateful if you could provide one. _

_Third, is it possible for me to bring a pet other than those listed? I'm quite attached to my dog, and would hate to leave him behind._

_Anything else you can inform me of I would be quite appreciative to receive._

_Your, hopefully, new student,_

_Harry Potter_

'That should do it,' he mused, retying the message to the owl's foot.

Shep tilted his head at him when the owl was out of sight, "Ark?"

"Apparently I'm a wizard," he informed his partner, "and they want me to join their academy. They had a selection of pets one could bring, but I'll be bringing you either way, so don't you worry."

The houndour wagged his tail and Harry went back to preparing the rabbit to be cooked, and a while later split it into two smaller portions to eat. As they ate in companionable silence they contemplated the interesting events that were unfolding.

…..

His clones had ambushed them midday, three surrounded the camp and thus surrounded him and Shep.

"Grrr."

"Couldn't agree more my friend," Harry commented cheekily as he and his partner charged the intruders.

Harry took two of his clones on while Shep took the last on quite well.

Harry dodged a kick and then a punch before retaliating by focusing his energy into his fist and destroying the clone that tried to trip him. The other clone saw this as an opening, as Harry's back was to him, but had been surprised when the houndour tackled him. Harry followed the tackle by throwing his pocket knife at the downed clone, making his opponent disappear in defeat.

"We took them easy, huh?" Harry said happily as he closed his pocket knife and returned it to his pocket.

Shep barked back, happily wagging his tail and returning to his partner's side to get a good pat or two. As Harry was patting his loyal friend the same owl from the previous day returned, which immediately garnered Shep's attentive stare. The owl nervously perched on his arm and held out its leg.

_Dear Harry Potter,_

_I am surprised and appalled that your relatives hadn't informed you of your wizard status. Forgive me for thinking highly enough of them to do so and thus have left you uninformed. I have included a small booklet of information which is usually sent to muggleborns; when you take out the brochure-like packet it will expand to its actual size, so please don't panic. _

_I would also like to arrange a meeting between the two of us, in which I will arrive in two days time around noon. I will guide you around Diagon Alley, the place where you are to buy your school supplies, and will show you to your trust vault, which was left to you by your parents. _

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

"So, my relatives knew all along," Harry snorted.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Harry wrote on the back of the letter that the meeting was acceptable and gave it back to the owl after he took out the shrunken booklet, which expanded once fully out of the envelope.

'Am I going to learn how to do that?' Harry pondered as he and Shep watched the owl fly away.

"Change of plans, partner. We're going to pack everything up tonight in a scroll, and stay at the house until this deputy headmistress arrives. When she does I'll leave with her and you can either come in a scroll, or we'll do the **Beast Transformation** so you can come along."

Shep contemplated it and then gave a nod of his head to show he understood.

"Great. So, are you ready for round two?"

"Ark!"

Suddenly they were surrounded by four clones, one of which transformed into a houndour himself.

"Here we come!" Harry yelled as they charged.

…..

A/N: Don't worry too much about the ending here, this is just the prologue if everything goes according to plan. In the next chapter he'll get his tour of the wizarding alley and meet some new people.

Please review, it feeds my determination…helpful ideas or requests on your part fuels my inspiration…just please review.


	2. Chapter 1

Defense Association: Year One

Written by: Ie-maru

Note: This took a while, and I'm not completely happy with the chapter. You know when you plan ahead so far into the story that you feel impatient to actually get there? Yeah, I'm going through that right now, so sorry if it feels rushed or whatever. My computer's not exactly working with me either…it's really weird.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Beware the power of those who wield their imagination like a sword, for they can very well dream up your demise and the horrible pain that will come before it." –Ie-maru

"Don't you just love Wikipedia?" – Ie-maru

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"I think that's it," he said as he closed his notebook; he'd taken to using an old school notebook and a pen to seal his belongings, seeing as how it was easier to keep track of everything.

He'd sealed everything from their camp including: his sleeping bag, the furs and bones of their kills, and everything else down to the firewood. There was a saying that after one went camping, that they should remove all signs that they'd been there. Harry sheepishly looked around at the scuffle marks of their recent fights with his clones.

Rubbing Shep's ears with the pads of his fingers, Harry contemplated what he should do next.

"It would be a lot more practical to use the Beast Transformation technique, so I suppose we'll do that in the backyard before she arrives. In the meantime I'll stay at the Dursley's and come out every so often to run with you."

Shep gave a little 'woof' of confirmation as Harry slipped the little guidebook away into his shirt.

'I can't be seen in the clothes I bought myself,' he thought in distaste, 'so I'll have to use the Transformation technique until I can slip into my old ones and then seal the others away.'

"I'll see you later today. We can use the Beast Transformation to make you look like a regular dog, and then we can hide away in the park to read this booklet safely."

'I don't even want to know what they'd do if they saw me reading this.'

Shep nodded his head and sat back on his haunches, showing he understood and would wait. Smiling, Harry pat his loyal partner on the head before making his way to his 'prison'.

When Harry was a block away, he slipped behind a bush and used one of the most useful techniques to appear as the Dursleys would expect him to look. After that he slipped behind the tree and waved his clone over before dispatching him and taking his place.

"Boy! Don't you dare slack off when my garden still needs tending to!" his aunt shrieked.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," he responded curtly as he 'returned' to weeding the garden.

'I'm going to have tell that restaurant that 'I'm' not going to be able to work during the school year.' He thought, referring to the job that one of his clones attended when summoned, 'I can just use the excuse that 'I'm' going to attend a school farther from home and won't be able to work until summertime."

After what seemed like an eternity of pulling up un-wanted plants, Harry was finally allowed in to clean himself before lunch. Even then, all he got for his efforts was a small turkey sandwich with crisps on the side and a glass of water.

'Wish I could just go hunting with Shep, then I could eat all we could find,' he groused internally as he munched on the half-sandwich.

'They're so cheap…with me anyway.'

After spending a moment or so to curse the Dursleys with a stream of words that could be named as extremely graphic, Harry finally retreated to his cupboard and pulled out his guidebook.

'I know I should do this later with Shep, but I've got nothing to do at the moment and I'm bored,' he thought as he opened to the first page 'The Dursleys aren't exactly quiet either, so I'll be able to hide it if they come close enough to my cupboard.'

_Starting on a wizard or witches eleventh birthday, they are taken in to the secret society of magic called the wizarding world. On a child's eleventh birthday (or earlier depending on the actual date) they are invited the closest major wizarding school. The most prestigious in England is believed to be Hogwart's School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

"Boy! You better get out right now and clean up this dirt you've tracked all over my clean floor!"

'You mean the floor that I keep clean, don't you? You cow.'

He quickly hid the book back away in his shirt and went to do as his aunt bid.

'As soon as I can, I'm getting away from these gits.'

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

After cleaning the floor, then being forced to vacuum the rug, and then washing the dishes, he was finally allowed to go out and 'play'.

'Their words were more like "You better come back before dark because we won't go looking for you." Yes, please dear family, there's no need to remind me about the boundless unconditional love you hold for me,' he thought sarcastically as he jogged into the edge of the forest.

"Ark!" his partner greeted, bringing him out of darker thoughts.

Smiling, Harry replied "Ready for a nice run to the park? Stay still now."

Shep remained as still as possible, not even when his partner laid his hand on his head and changed him did he do more than twitch his muscles. A moment later and it was all done.

Harry smiled as he watched Shep twirl into a little circle, examining himself.

"I think the German Shepherd look suits you. Come on now you lady-killer, we've got a nice day at the park waiting for us," he called over his shoulder as he began to jog away.

"Woof!"

Nin-mage and Nin-dog jogged side-by-side, enjoying the experience and allowing themselves to relax in the non-hostile and familiar environment. It was hot, but not scorching, and people were just lazily milling about. Everything just seemed to scream PEACEFUL and everyone else was just smiling and joining in on the chorus.

Harry himself couldn't seem to stop smiling either, and it seemed that Shep was smiling in his own dog-way as well. It almost seemed sad when they reached their destination and had no more pavement left that needed running at the moment, but business called.

Finding a comfortable secluded spot, easily hidden away from curious eyes by trees and shrubbery, he and the 'German Shepherd' sat down and leaned over the booklet. Harry licked his lips as he opened it and began to whisper the contents to his loyal friend.

"_Starting on a wizard or witches eleventh birthday, they are taken in to the secret society of magic called the wizarding world. On a child's eleventh birthday (or earlier depending on the actual date) they are invited the closest major wizarding school. The most prestigious in England is believed to be Hogwart's School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

_Before their eleventh birthday they may exhibit signs of possessing the gift of magic through accidental magic usage. This usually happens when the child is under emotional stress and unknowingly sends bursts of pure magic to lessen their stress levels, in which the effects cannot be properly predicted. There are ways to contain and minimize the damage of such incidents, though they are mostly used by purebloods of the magic society. _

_Purebloods are wizards or witches who have descended from two generations of magic users. A muggle-born witch or wizard is born from two non-magical parents, whom are called muggles in the magic society. A half-blood is either born from two muggle-born, a muggle-born and a pureblood, a muggle-born and a muggle, or a pureblood and a muggle. When a half-blood bears a child with another magic-use, muggle-born or not, the child is a first-generation pureblood. A squib is a member of a magical family that cannot use their magic as it's too low to utilize; if the family is a higher generation of pureblood, then it is more likely that a squib will be born. _

_Most purebloods keep vigorous track of their ancestry, as it is a type of social ladder in certain circles. In such circles the longer the family has been 'pureblooded', the higher regard they are held in. _

_All public and most private magic schools accept all human magic-users (and, under certain circumstances, but rarely do they accept non-humans). Squibs are sent to other schools for more appropriate schooling._

_For students traveling to Hogwarts, students board a train called 'the Hogwarts Express' the day before school starts (Howarts' first term starts September 1__st__, although students are usually given two days to acquaint themselves with the school). The entrance to 9¾, where the train awaits passengers, is located between platforms 9 and 10, literally between the signs on the columns. Walk right 'into' the 'wall' and you will arrive in the hidden platform. Be sure to arrive early as the train leaves at exactly 11:00 A.M. _

_Before the date of boarding the train, parents should make sure that all supplies on the list (the one provided with the student's acceptance letter) have been purchased and packed for travel. Don't feel as though you must also purchase an owl; Hogwarts and many other schools have an owlry, which student's and other personnel may freely use to keep contact with family and friends. (Owls are the standard form of communication and fly letters from the senders to the receivers.) _

_The common place to buy supplies is Diagon Alley. Its entrance is located in London, Charing Cross Road, in the pub named 'the Leaky Cauldron'. The pub is charmed to be unseen by muggles, meaning that muggle-born students will have to guide their parents into the pub themselves. After entering you may ask the bartender, Tom, to open the entrance to the alley, which is toward the back. He will tap the bricks with his wand in a certain combination, of which you should take note (even if it means writing it down). For the combination to work, the person needs to use a wand to tap the bricks, which means that muggles will require assistance if not with their child (if the child should possess a wand). _

_To exchange money you must walk down Diagon Alley until you arrive before a large white building. This is the wizarding bank called Gringotts, which is run by goblins. Politely ask the teller to exchange your currency and you will receive the proper amount according to the current rate of exchange. _

_After supplies have been purchased and students have been sent to their school, they will find themselves amongst new classes and peers. Core classes are: Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Supplement classes that are mandatory until fifth year are Herbology and Astronomy. Additional classes that are available beginning in their third year are: Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Muggle-studies. There can also be additional classes depending on the school or the resident Headmaster. _

_Also, starting in their third year, if a permission slip is signed by the student's guardian(s), they may participate in trips to Hogsmeade (a village down a bit from the school)._

_It is advised for new students to read ahead in their textbooks, as it may be expected of the student or some things may be taken as common knowledge. New students may also wish to refer to other texts such as: Hogwarts a History, A Junior's Guide to Potions- Common Ingredients and Techniques of the Art, and Quiddich Player's Guide. (Quiddich is a common wizarding sport, which is closely comparable to football, except on brooms and in the air.)_"

Shep barked and wagged his tail when he finished reading, causing Harry to grin with thrilled anticipation.

"I know. It's quite exciting…all of it. I can't wait!"

"Ark, ark," his beloved companion replied, nudging his leg.

"Suppose it is time to be going, isn't it?"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Harry sat nervously on the front steps, hoping to high heaven to intercept Headmistress McGonagall before his relatives caught on.

'They wouldn't mesh well; the Dursleys hate the word magic and she didn't sound so fond of them herself in the letter.'

From within him he could feel Shep's agreement, the Beast Transformation bonding them.

To distract himself from worrying thoughts, Harry tried to think of other things, most if not all centered around magic and its hidden society.

'Hehe, it sounds like a ninja's hidden village,' he thought in mirth.

'I wonder if I can fix my eyesight there. Sure, I could do it by using the Transformation technique, but I'd rather have it fixed for good. I wonder what other things they have there; it's probably all in Diagon Alley, so I'll see soon enough. I wonder how much my parents left me.'

It was Shep who alerted him to the new scent invading the area and he took a deeper, discreet sniff of the air.

'Smells kinda like a cat, but it's definitely not a cat,' Harry thought, waiting and then being gifted with the sight of a strict woman making her way down the sidewalk.

'Even her clothes scream 'professional and strict',' he mused.

Indeed they did. The woman who was no doubt Ms. McGonagall was briskly walking towards him, dressed in a smart black suit with her hair pulled in a tight bun.

He almost let out a sigh of relief when she stopped in front of him and gave a warm, albeit small smile.

"I'm Headmistress McGonagall. May I assume that you are Mr. Potter?" she introduced, holding her hand out to him as he stood up.

Shaking her hand with a returned smile, Harry replied with an affirmative.

"I hope you don't mind that you'll have a few more people coming with us as we explore the alley. I have another family I was scheduled to show around."

"That's not a problem. Shall we go?" he asked hopefully, leaning forward to insinuate that he wanted to leave.

McGonagall shook her head and Harry felt a stone drop in his stomach, clearly labeled 'Dread'.

"I'd like to speak with your guardians first," she replied with a glint in her eye.

"Oh, that's okay," he hastily rambled, "they don't mind! Really! We can just go now. It's fine."

Harry felt that stone dig deeper into his stomach as McGonagall walked past him and knocked sharply on the door.

'There goes that plan,' he mentally whimpered.

"We don't want anything you're selling," his uncle said rudely upon seeing her.

"I assure you, I'm not selling you anything. I've just come to discuss Mr. Potter's care and schooling," she replied promptly.

When Petunia, who'd been behind her 'lovely' husband and who'd been planning on dragging the 'freak' inside, heard what the Headmistress said, she quickly motioned them all inside and into the living room, peeking anxiously out the window to check that the neighbors hadn't seen.

His uncle's mustache twitched irritably and he glared at Harry before turning back to McGonagall with an oily smile.

"You must be a social worker for the school. Well, I can assure you that Harry here has been receiving the utmost care. If he has said anything different then I can put your fears to rest."

"Oh, I'm not a social worker, but I am here to see about his care and schooling. You see, I represent Hogwarts…"

His aunt twirled around quick enough that Harry was surprised she didn't hurt herself and whispered hoarsely, "You! You're from that freakish school, aren't you?! Well, Harry didn't get a letter, so he mustn't have any magic," she finished triumphantly and with more confidence.

"I beg to differ, Harry responded to his invitation only two days ago. He has gotten an invitation and has been down for said invitation since he was born. It's unquestionable that he has magic," the strict Headmistress shot back, not happy at all that she'd been interrupted and insulted all at once.

'This isn't going well at all!' Harry wailed mentally as his aunt and uncle glared viciously at him.

McGonagall only glared back and continued icily, "He's coming with me for a tour of Diagon Alley and when the time arrives he will board the train for Hogwarts."

"I WILL NOT PAY FOR HIM TO LEARN MAGIC TRICKS FROM SOME OLD, CRACKPOT WIZARD!" his uncle bellowed.

Harry winced as he saw the witch draw herself up and pull a wand from her sleeve.

'That was **not** the right thing to say,' he thought with sympathy…well, almost sympathy- it was more like he just didn't want to watch Vernon being brutally murdered but couldn't turn away.

"Never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me," she hissed, pointing her wand at a pig of a boy stuffing himself in the kitchen, completely unaware of the workings in the living room.

A moment later and Dudley was what he most resembled, pig ears, snout, tail and all.

Harry and Shep could barely keep in the laughter as his uncle and aunt tripped all over themselves to get to their son.

McGonagall smirked predatorily, "I'll be sending a letter later. I expect it to be carried out to the letter. If it isn't then…well, I don't think I really need to tell you what I'll do to you, do I? A team will come in later, no doubt, to reverse the spell cast on your son, but until then…why don't you just ponder upon your behavior. Harry and I will be off for now and I expect he'll stay at the Leaky Cauldron until the school year, after which you are to pick him up at King's Cross Station for the summer."

With that the proud Headmistress led the shocked Harry back out of the house and waved her wand with a few whispered words.

"What's that for?"

"I'm going to apparate -what some muggles might call 'teleport'- us to Charing Cross Road, where the Grangers -the other family I told you about- are waiting. This will make sure that no muggles take note of our immediate arrival."

Harry only managed to nod before he saw black and felt like he was being squeezed through a tube-a very, very small tube. After a moment of discomfort, the scenery changed into what he thought might be 'Charing Cross Road' and the air rushed back into his lungs as he remembered to breath.

'I very much prefer my own way of teleporting, thank you,' he thought, remembering the incident when he was younger, 'In fact, I might want to work on that.'

McGonagall chuckled at the look of surprise on his face before leading him around the block. When she purposefully strode toward a family of three, he knew these must be the Grangers.

Following her toward the group he heard her make the introductions before she led them all about a block further. He took the time to analyze the people walking beside him. The father and mother seemed honest, open, and lighthearted. Their daughter, Hermione as she was introduced, was to be his future classmate, so he paid more attention to her than to her parents. She had curly, frizzy brown hair, chocolate eyes to match, a slight overbite that made her front teeth seem a bit larger, and she was about as tall as him.

'I'd probably be even shorter if I left it to Dursleys.'

"Isn't this so exciting?" the girl of his observations enthused, breaking his thoughts.

His smile was just as wide and anticipating as hers- no acting required.

"Yes, it really is! It all just sounds fantastic. I can't wait to start learning it all."

Hermione's parents smiled overtop the children's heads; it seemed their daughter found a new friend that was as enthusiastic about learning as she was.

"…I'm going to memorize all the textbooks! I want to get a few others too, but I can't get too many," Hermione said, taking a quick glance at her parents.

"They'll probably have them in the library, so you don't have to worry so much," Harry consoled.

"I suppose you're right."

McGonagall interrupted with, "Here we are. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, if you would, take a hold of the young Ms. Granger's hand so she can lead you into the pub."

They nodded and did as they were told, following her inside and Harry following after them. As soon as they entered Harry's eyes darted around taking in their new surroundings, keeping his head low as he did. His thin frame was easily hidden behind Mr. Granger, giving him a better feeling of security amongst all these strangers that filled the dingy pub.

"Come on now," the Headmistress insisted, "We need to get to the back."

"P-professor Mc-cGonagall, how are y-you? Taking s-some first years into the a-alley today?" stuttered someone to the right.

As McGonagall turned to face some strange man wearing a turban, Harry's nose scrunched up when he smelled a repugnant stench.

'Does he bathe in garlic?!' he thought sickly.

"Professor Quirrell."

'He's going to be my professor?!' Harry panicked.

"I'm doing fine. I just have to show these ones through the alley so they can do their shopping. It's nice to see you out and about," she replied.

"I'll j-just leave y-you to it then."

As they passed the other professor, Harry got the strangest feeling. Not that he wasn't relieved to be able to leave his presence and breathe fresh air, but…something else about him rubbed him the wrong way.

He gave a discreet second look to the stuttering fool and sized him up.

'I'll have to watch that one.' he decided 'It's not a smart thing to second guess one's intuition.'

"C'mon," Hermione called, grabbing his hand, "the others are waiting for us."

He smiled, "Well, it wouldn't do to make them wait for long."

After sending another speculative look at the strange professor, he followed Hermione to the others, whom were waiting in what seemed like a place where people threw out their trash.

'Appearances can be deceiving.'

He made sure to memorize which bricks the Headmistress tapped before the bricks slid to the side, presenting the alley in all its glory.

"Amazing…"

"Yeah," Hermione agreed, startling him- he hadn't been aware that he'd said that out loud.

McGonagall took much amusement out of the five's looks of awe, and she gestured dramatically towards the alley.

"Welcome, to Diagon Alley!"

They had to snap out of their thoughts as McGonagall strode to the white building- the bank.

"Here we are," McGonagall pointed the Grangers toward a teller that could exchange their currency before she turned to Harry.

"We're going to go down and visit your trust vault, and afterwards I'll give you the key to access it- you'd better not lose it," she finished strictly.

It wasn't until one of the goblins lead them to a cart did Harry remember something.

"You never answered my question," McGonagall looked confused, so he elaborated, "I asked if I could bring my dog, but you didn't reply."

"Ah, yes. Well, sometimes alternative pets can be allowed, but they're small, much smaller than a dog. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," he replied, trying to look downcast.

'Not that it matters any. He'll be their whether you allow it or not.'

Shep seemed very pleased with that thought.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

He'd ended up quite amazed with his fortune. His parent's had left him a lot, and from what he heard from the Headmistress, this was only his trust fund. His key lay hidden in his pocket, but McGonagall was carrying the pouch that held more money then it should be physically capable of.

'There's probably a lot more where that came from.'

She'd explained about the currency, which he was quite thankful for. There were seventeen sickles to a galleon and twenty nine knuts to a sickle.

'Which is about four hundred, ninety three knuts to a galleon,' he calculated as they rode up the tracks.

They soon met up with the Grangers and continued the tour, stopping to get the clothes first.

"Come in, come in," welcomed a rather portly woman, "You're Hogwart's bound, yes? Just go to the back to be fitted and we'll have you all ready in a giffy.

Hermione and he exchanged looks before heading to the back.

As they were poked, prodded, and measured, Harry and his new friend examined the shop. There were a whole variety of robes and cloaks lining the walls and rows. Some were quite obnoxious, some were fairly normal, some were formal, and some were the most beautiful things they'd noticed out of the whole lot.

"Those are probably really expensive," his friend pointed out.

He nodded in agreement and stepped down when they were told that they could wait out front for their Hogwarts order.

"Everything go alright?"

"Yes, mother, besides a few pokes here and there."

McGonagall smiled, "After this we'll go about getting all of our other purchases. The wand shop will be the last –though, I'm starting to think that maybe I should've picked the book shop instead," she mused humorously, staring at the two children whom were trying their best to look innocent.

"All done," interrupted the portly woman from before, handing them small bags with shrunken goods.

"Thank you, Madam Malkin. We'll be going now."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Harry released the jutsu binding his partner and himself before collapsing into the bed. Shep followed his lead and jumped on the bed next to him.

"How tiring," he rubbed Shep's ears, "But, it was fun."

"Woof."

They'd gone to various shops, buying everything on their list from the clothes to their wands. Every shop that they entered sparked interest and had potential in his eyes.

'I'll have to go back under the transformation jutsu to buy other supplies. It's too bad that my trust has a limit, but I'm sure that I'll be able to gather a bit more before we head to the school.'

He especially found interest in the books- knowledge was power, and in a new environment it was something he needed to touch on. He knew that the most of his remaining money within the limit would be spent on books.

He wished it all could have gone well, but the wand shop had brought down his mood.

"What's up with that guy anyway? Olivander…he either has a special gift –his eyes remind me of the Hyuuga- or he isn't human."

Shep gave a grunt of agreement as they thought back to the scene.

"_Ooooh, I can't wait to get to reading!" _

_Harry smiled at his enthusiastic friend, "Me neither."_

_McGonagall just chuckled at them while the Grangers smiled happily, obviously pleased that the two were getting along famously._

"_Olivander's is just ahead. The shop's been here a long while," she remarked, pointing up at the sign._

"_Wow," Hermione breathed, awed that it had been around before the recording of time switched to A.D. _

"_Inside," the Headmistress led, "Mr. Olivander will match you up with your wand."_

"_It is the wand that chooses the wizard, Professor McGonagall," they all jumped as the old man walked out of the shadows._

_Harry scolded himself for being caught off guard._

"_Let's do the missus first," he gestured Hermione over, then measuring her. _

_Hermione looked amazed and annoyed when the shopkeeper went to the wall of narrow boxes, leaving her to the mercy of the tape measure. Harry was just amused. When the strange Olivander came back, he tossed the measure on his desk. _

"_Here, try this one."_

_She grabbed the narrow stick, only to have it pulled out of her hand before the man grabbed another, only to repeat his actions over and over. He could see his friend was starting to feel harassed. _

_Hermione herself was just about to tell off the odd man when the next stick was slapped in her hand, but was distracted when it lit up in an array of silver and golden sparks. _

"_Very good, Ms. Granger- it seems that vine wood and dragon heartstring favor you- fifteen inches."_

_As Mr. Granger paid the fee, it was Harry's turn to be harassed by the tape measure. He could clearly see that it was Hermione's turn to be amused as well. Everything from there was a repeat of Hermione's experience, besides the fact that it was taking longer to match him up._

"_Tricky customer, eh?"_

'_You'd think he'd be annoyed, but he just seems to get more and more excited- how confusing.'_

_He was starting to get worried when the shopkeeper slowed down and looked at him strangely._

"_I wonder, I wonder," the man muttered, heading further to the back._

_He returned with another box, and Harry gave the man an annoyed look for getting him all worked up. He mechanically took the wand, only to look at it in surprise when he felt a warm feeling spread throughout his body. A quick swish of it wielded silver and red sparks._

"_How very curious."_

_Harry gave him a shrewd look, "What's 'curious'?"_

_The man bent down, as if revealing a great secret. _

"_Because, the phoenix that gave the feather for your wand gave only one other, and your wand's brother is the one who gave you that scar," he finished, pointing at where his scar had been hidden under his hair. _

_To be honest, even if he didn't know what the man was talking about, he felt it wasn't good._

After the incident in Olivander's wand shop, the Headmistress took them into a back room of the Leaky Cauldron to explain what Olivander had been talking about. She told them about the war, about the beginning, and then about the end and the Boy-Who-Lived- which was him.

The Grangers had given him sad smiles, but Harry was glad that Hermione supported him and was still willing to be his friend. He never really had a friend besides his partner; he didn't want to lose his first –human- friend.

Harry turned to face Shep, "We'll rest a bit for now before we go out to pick up some extra books."

Shep grunted, causing him to smile.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N: Yeah, not the best ending, but I felt that the rest should go in the next chapter (and I'm sorry if that one seems rushed too).

The reason McGonagall told the Grangers too is because she knows that Hermione is starting to form a strong friendship with Harry and she didn't want her to find out in one of her books because she might feel a tad bit betrayed.

Sorry this chapter took so long to post.

Wikipedia helped a lot to find Hermione's wand type and the currency. Searching online some more for Hermione's wand gave some sites selling replications, and a lot of them said 15 inches, so I went with that.

A lot of the quotes are probably off, so please just ignore it on the fact that it's fanfiction and Harry didn't go with Hagrid this time around.

Please Review!


	3. Chapter 2

Defense Association: Year One

Written by: Ie-maru

Note: Thank you to my reviewers (though I wished there were more, ;)

Someone said something about this going a year at a time or so- well, it'll be something like that, you'll just have to wait and see (me too, lol).

Someone also mentioned something about if England even aired the shows- I don't know and (sorry if it offends you) I don't really care. If people can make guys pregnant here then I don't think it should be a big issue.

I refuse to go far into Hagrid's accent. It'll probably only reach as far as him 'im.

Sorry if it seems short or rushed, I was just trying to get it out because I know it's been a while since I last updated. Sorry about that. I blame it on Writer's Block or Laziness, so don't point fingers at me, lol.

OOoooOO

"Be back in 5." -?

OOoooOO

Harry blinked wearily and yawned. He hadn't meant to, but he must have drowsed into a catnap.

Stretching, Harry shot his sleeping dog an amused look.

"Oi, are you coming with me?" Shep just rolled over, giving his answer loud and clear.

He sighed, "Fine then, leave me to my lonesome self, all alone and woeful."

Shep wasn't impressed. Harry pouted before transforming and gathering his things before trudging down the stairs towards the entrance.

A few taps later and the way to Diagon Alley opened, showing itself in all its glory.

'It was a lot more impressive the first time. Now…I should leave some (a lot) of money to jingle in my wallet just in case I need something later. Sooooooooo…I should only get books that they probably won't have in the library, not to mention some extra potions ingredients as well. It'll be a lot easier to do all this if I knew exactly what to expect, but I'll just have to wait.'

He scowled, 'Information is still horribly lacking – the books I'll buy then will help brush off my horrible ignorance. Reading my textbooks should help me prepare for my classes, but it won't do anything to help me understand about this world in general.'

The door to Flourish and Blott's opened quietly, the skilled nin-mage slipping through the cracked door without opening it wide enough to ring the bell. The twenty-something, nothing-special looking 'man' then swiftly made his way to the shelves, browsing for what he might need.

He grabbed Hogwarts a History, An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, the extended version of the Muggleborn's Guide (the pamphlet), and (deciding to following the pamphlet's advice) bought _A Junior's Guide to Potions – Common Ingredients and Techniques of the Art, and the Quiddich Player's Guide._

He sweat-dropped, 'a bit more than I was planning,' he shrugged, 'but I suppose I shouldn't really buy the extra ingredients until I know what, exactly, I should buy.'

He would have gone strait back to his room in the Leaky Cauldron, but he was stopped when a giant of a man blocked his way.

"What room did Professor McGonagall say he was in?"

His blood ran cold.

The man was oblivious to the one behind him, whom was discreetly clutching a hidden kunai.

An owl hooted, "Not right now, we have to find 'im first. I'm sure you'll like 'im though – from what the Headmistress said, I'm sure you two will get along just fine. He might want a little company without 'is dog."

His hand removed itself from the knife and he tapped the giant, wild-looking man on the shoulder.

"I think I know the lad you're talking about. What did you want with him?" he eyed the other suspiciously, hoping the owl wasn't a front for deeper intentions.

The giant span around and Harry had to control himself lest he give himself away in a defensive stance.

"Ah! You know Mr. Po…"

"Please, I don't think the lad would appreciate being mobbed by zealous fans. Why don't you come with me to one of the back rooms for privacy?"

"Yes, yes, hadn't thought of that. Poor H…sorry, almost did it again!"

He gave a quirk of the lips and motioned the still unnamed man to one of the back rooms held for such private things. Closing the door he returned his gaze to the other.

"What was your name again?"

"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts," the man goofily smiled and puffed out his chest, "but you can just call me Hagrid – everybody does."

"Oh, you work at Hogwarts? That's reassuring – I didn't want anyone bothering Harry unless they had good reason to. I'm Wyatt Summers. Dare I ask what the occasion is for your visit?"

The other blinked, "His birthday of course! I know it's a bit late, but I wanted to get 'im something anyway. I was friends with his mum and dad you know."

"The owl?" Harry looked deep in the pools of gold that stared at him knowingly.

'Smart…and creepy.'

"Yeah, I figured he could use one, you know, to deliver mail and keep 'im company."

Harry looked him deep into the eyes of the groundskeeper, causing Hagrid to squirm, and deemed him honest in his intentions.

"I'll go get the lad. You wait here."

And with those clipped orders Harry returned to his room, dropped his bags to the floor, transformed back, and made his way back downstairs.

"Hello?"

"Ah! Harry! Last I saw you, you was just a babe! My name's Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, but you'll know all about Hogwarts, wouldn't you?"

Harry shrugged, "Not really." The man ignored him, causing his eye to twitch.

"You'll probably end up in Gryffindor, just like your mum and dad."

Harry shrugged again. In all honesty, he wasn't sure exactly how much he was like to his parents, so he couldn't really agree with the man on that.

"Anyway, happy birthday, I know it's a bit late."

"She's beautiful." he cooed to the knowledgeable avian.

"What's her name?"

"That's up for you to decide Harry. Well, I best be off. Take care of yourself and don't get into trouble."

When the man left, Harry looked at his new companion.

"Well, I suppose I aught to introduce everyone then."

He opened the cage and held his arm out, allowing the owl to hop up his arm and rest on his shoulder.

"There now, that's a lot more comfortable isn't it?"

The snowy owl hooted appreciatively as he returned to his room, and flew over to rest on the headboard as soon as they entered.

"Shep, wake up now, we've got a new partner to get introduced to."

His nin-dog's head snapped up and stared at the owl with the same searching eyes Harry had placed on Hagrid. Harry was relieved when the two seemed to come to an agreement and settled down – he'd been afraid there'd be a bit of jealous hostility.

"Now we just have to give you a name," Harry picked up one of his books, searching for inspiration. He doubted any plain name could suit her.

"How about Hedwig?"

He got a positive response, causing him to smile.

"Alright then Hedwig, I'm Harry and my partner there is Shep. He's a houndour," seeing her confused gaze towards Shep, he elaborated, "He can spit fire, etc, etc."

"Hoot."

Harry tilted his head.

"You know, I think you'd make a pretty good noctowl."

Hedwig looked confused again, but Harry told her that they'd talk about it later before he left to buy new supplies for her.

OOoooOO

"Mr. Potter, are you up yet?"

Harry started and shooed Shep to the other side of the bed to hide.

"Almost ready Professor."

"See that you meet me downstairs quickly then. I'll apparate you to platform 9 ¾ so you can board the train."

Harry tilted his head, not that she could see.

"Why can't you just apparate me to Hogwarts? Outside the wards, I mean."

"Because it's traditional, Mr. Potter, and you wouldn't want to miss it, I promise. Besides, don't you want to meet up with Ms. Granger?"

"Yes. I'll be right down."

"See that you are." The sound of fading steps signaled her leaving.

"Hedwig, can you fly there? I'd hate to leave you in that cage."

"Hoot."

"Alright," he opened the window and watched as the white avian flew away.

"C'mon Shep, let's go."

A transformation later and Harry and Shep were sharing a body.

McGonagall met them at the bottom of the steps.

"Grab my hand Mr. Potter. That's right – I'll take us strait on the platform."

OOoooOO

It almost was akin to chaos. People, students and parents alike, flooded the platform while cats, toads, and owls went this way and that.

He was quite glad now that Professor McGonagall had dropped him off early. He was very happy in his compartment, and away from that crowd, thank you very much.

"I wonder if I'll see Hermione," he muttered, opening the beginner's guide to potion brewing.

'It's like cooking,' he decided.

Everything was coming back to him now, and the excitement returned full force. His feelings mixed with a bit of apprehension when the train started moving. That was understandable, seeing as how he, even after brushing up on Hogwarts a History, still didn't know exactly what to expect.

The fact that the first few chapters mentioned a sorting into the houses, but didn't say how they were sorted just added to his nervousness.

'What if I don't pass whatever test they give and I get sent home?'

He bit his lip and stared distractedly out the window, only shaken out of his thoughts when his compartment door opened. A familiar bush of brown hair trailed by a nervous-looking boy greeted him.

"Have you seen Neville's…Harry! There you are! I was looking for you," she pouted.

He blinked and then scratched his head sheepishly, "Sorry?"

She waved him off until her eyes brightened as she remembered something.

"Have you seen a toad? Neville here," she gestured to the boy, whom he noticed had a round face, brown eyes, and black hair, "lost one."

"No, I haven't, but I can help you look for it. Did you check by the bathrooms?"

"Not yet," the other boy mumbled before he sighed, "Trevor's always running away."

Harry looked over his shoulder as they made way to the end of the train, "Then why don't you just get a different pet?"

Neville's shoulders slumped.

"Gran's allergic to owls and says that cats would ruin her furniture."

"So she gets you a toad," Hermione deadpanned.

"Um, yes."

Harry shook his head, "Alright, Hermione, you check the girl's bathroom and we'll check the boy's."

"Right."

A search in the boy's bathroom yielded nothing, but they heard Hermione call out for them. The poor girl held the large toad as far away from her as she could.

"Trevor!" the boy exclaimed, taking the toad from the relieved girl.

"Thank you so much for helping to find him," he grinned.

"No problem," Harry replied, "but I think we should go back to my compartment, no?"

The other two nodded and went to fetch their things while he waited outside the sliding compartment door.

"All set now?"

A twin chorus of 'yes' answered him and they all picked a place in the train compartment.

"So, what house do you think you'll be in? I don't think my Gran would accept anything besides Gryffindor House."

Hermione 'hmmed', "I think I'd like to be in Gryffindor too – it's the house that Dumbledore was in, you know. Ravenclaw sounds nice too. What about you Harry?"

The other two looked at him expectantly and he crossed his arms.

"I think I'd prefer Ravenclaw. It sounds like I could learn the most there," he replied.

"You're right there." Hermione admitted, "It sounds a lot better now that you say it out loud."

Neville shifted, "I've never been that smart, so I'll doubt that I'll get in there."

Harry waved it off, "I don't think it works that way. I think it's more your desire to learn than how smart you are at the moment. First years aren't generally geniuses, so I doubt that that's a requirement."

"Still, I'm not really the bookish type…"

"Don't worry Neville, we can be friends no matter what house we're in," Hermione consoled.

"That's right," Harry supported. "You seem like a good chap to me. I wouldn't mind being friends with you, but I think we should finish the introductions first," he chuckled.

"I'm Harry," he pointed at himself, "Harry Potter."

"The Boy-Who-Lived?" Neville squeaked.

"I'd rather you not see me as that. I'm just Harry," he sighed.

"Right, I'm sorry. It was just a bit of surprise there. It's not everyday that I meet the Boy-Who-Lived," Neville joked, clutching his toad tighter before he could escape.

"All's forgiven," Harry replied mock-haughtily.

Hermione giggled before pointing at herself too, "I'm Hermione Granger," she smiled, "and it's nice to meet you."

Neville smiled back, obviously relaxing in their company.

"I'm Neville Longbottom, and it's really nice to meet the two of you too."

The rest of the time was spent in comfortable conversation. Neville would explain to them the general shebang that was the wizarding world. In turn, Harry and Hermione helped him, and themselves, prepare for their classes.

Other than the snack trolley, the only other interruption was when they had to change into their school robes.

Neville gulped nervously as they exited the train, Trevor in his hands. He was pretty glad that the house elves were going to be picking up their trunks – his hand would've been pretty full if he were carrying Trevor and his trunk.

Seeing his nervousness, squashing down their own, Harry and Hermione each walked on either side and smiled.

Neville smiled back as they boarded a small, rickety boat along with a blond haired and gray eyed boy. Said boy only really paid attention to them when he saw Harry's scar.

"So the rumors are true. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts," the blonde stated.

"I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy."

"I'm Harry, as you seem to know, and this is Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom."

Draco scrunched up his nose at the two as they were introduced and huffed.

"Careful there Potter, you don't want to make friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there," he finished arrogantly, holding out his hand.

Harry's eye twitched, but he told himself to calm down.

'It wouldn't do to make an enemy on the first day.'

"I wouldn't mind hearing you out on things, nor would your company be unwelcome unless you make it so. However, I still reserve my right to make my own opinions."

The other was frowning, so he decided to put it a different way.

"Would you like it if I told you who to be friends with? I doubt you're one to let other kids boss you around so easily."

Draco's eyes got a little misty in thought, and only came out of it when he had to scramble out of the boat along with the others.

"First years, Professor McGonagall," boomed Hagrid.

"We can meet up sometime later, alright?"

The young Malfoy blinked, nodded, and followed silently as they made their way inside.

"Ah! Ghosts!" someone choked up ahead.

As a group, everyone looked up to inspect the ceiling and saw that, indeed, ghosts were floating by. Harry picked up something about a poltergeist named 'Peeves' before a plump ghost wished them luck in the sorting.

Everyone seemed to get a little tense at the word 'sorting', including himself. What would happen was unknown. They didn't even know exactly what house they'd end up in…well, Draco was bragging to someone about his family always ending up in Slytherin House, so he didn't seem so nervous like the rest of them.

"My brothers said something about fighting a troll, but I think they might have been having one on me," trailed a scared redhead.

Shep growled in the back of his mind, but he assured his partner that such a thing was ridiculous. Or…he hoped so. His friend, Hermione, was whispering every spell she could remember, and seemed to be moving her wand in lazy imitations of the motions made to cast them. Poor Neville looked terrified and white as a sheet. Harry took mercy on the boy and straitened his collar before giving him a reassuring squeeze to the shoulder. He got a shaky smile in response, but Neville still looked pale.

"It's time," McGonagall announced, waving them into the Dining Hall.

The group seemed to shift nervously before falling in a line to follow the Headmistress.

At the beginning of a dais that supported what was obviously the teacher's table, there sat a stool with an old, worn out hat.

They kind of just stared at it and the redhead before groaned about killing his brothers.

Harry wasn't sure what to make out of the whole thing when the hat seemed to tear at the ridge, forming a mouth. Nor were the rest of the group, especially when it began to sing.

He was just glad he didn't have to wrestle a troll.

OOoooOO

A/N: I'm so, so sorry I've left you guys hanging on updates. Please –gets on knees– forgive me!

I'll try to update on either this or my other stories sooner than I have. A new semester started at school though, so that'll take a bit to get used to.

Thanks to all who reviewed. Please continue to do so, lol, it makes me feel good. : )


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